Apparatus for applying friction closures to containers



July 15, 1958 I P. BERLENCOURT APPARATUS FOR APPLYING FRICTION CLOSURES O CONTAINERS Filed Feb. 20, 1956 INVENTOR. Pnuz. Bzmmcowar BY APPARATUS FUR APPLYENG FRICTION CLOSURE-S TU CONTAINERS This invention relates to apparatus for applying friction closures to containers, and has particular reference to apparatus for the re-application of a friction closure to a can of paint.

Paint cans, when opened and used, nearly always become smeared with paint around their rims, and when the paint has dried a little it obstructs the reapplication of the can cover, which is conventionally of the friction type. Furthermore, both paint cans and their covers become bent, making it very diflicult to place the cover in the open top of the can. If the can is not sealed, the unused portion of the paint will deteriorate. Hammering the cover into place generally results in aggravating its bent condition.

it is an object of my invention to provide a simple, inexpensive, and strong apparatus for applying a friction closure to a can, which will force the cover into place without the necessity of hammering it.

Another object of my invention is to provide apparatus capable of re-capping a can when either the can or its cover or both are bent.

Cans of paint are often filled from larger containers and it frequently happens that when the cover is applied to a freshly filled can, an amount of air is trapped under the cover, causing the can to bulge and the paint to deteriorate, if indeed the can cover stays in place. It is a further and specific object of my invention to provide apparatus by which a can cover may be worked into a can a little at a time, and sector by sector, around the rim so as to avoid trapping excess air.

In the accompanying drawing, illustrative of a presently preferred embodiment of my invention, but not intended to be a limitation thereof, Fig. 1 is a frontal elevational view of my improved can closer, parts being shown cut away to illustrate the enclosed mechanism, and a can rest of selected dimensions being shown in dotted line;

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view;

Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional view on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a can rest; and

Fig. 5 is an enlarged sectional view of a modified form of my invention.

Having reference now to the details of the drawing, I have shown in Fig. l a can-closing apparatus comprising a base 6 from which rise a pair of posts 7, 7, which are secured to the base in sufficient spaced relationship to receive between them the largest container which it is intended to close upon the stated apparatus. Loosely slidable on the posts 7, 7 are sleeves 8, 8, and spanning the sleeves 8, 8 and secured to both of them so as to reciprocate with them, is a head plate 9, which may have a handle 10 by which the can-closing may be transported.

To cause the sleeves S, 8 to slide downward upon the posts "7', '7, each of the sleeves 8, 8 is provided with a lever and linkage mechanism. Levers 11, 11 are piv- 2,842,924 Patented July 15, 1958 2. oted on studs 12, 12 set in bosses 13, 13 on the outer sides of the sleeves 8, 8. The upper ends of the levers 11, 11 are provided with handles 14, 14 and their lower ends are connected pivotally by bolts 15, 15 to links 16, 16 which are in turn connected pivotally by bolts 17, 17 to the base 6. The pivot bolts 15, 15 thus provide swingable fulcrums for the levers 11, 11 by which arcuate movement of the levers may be translated into reciprocating movement of the sleeves 8, 8 and the spanping head plate 9, upon the posts 7, 7.

To cause the sleeves 8, 8 and the head plate 9 to rise to a starting position, springs 18, 18 are placed on the posts 7, 7 between the lower ends of the sleeves 8, 8 and the base 6.

The base 6 is provided with one or more guide posts 19, 19 which serve to center a can, or a can rest 20. The can rest 20 is so proportioned as to permit its supporting various standard sizes of paint cans beneath the head plate 9. For example, with the can rest 20 removed, a one-gallon paint can may be placed directly on the base 6 and will fit easily under the head plate 9, with ample room to place and to manipulate a can lid. With the can rest 20 placed as shown in broken lines in Fig. 1, upon its surface A, there is ample room for a half-gallon can between the opposite surface A and the head plate. If the can rest 20 is turned to rest on its surface B, it may accommodate a one-quart can, and if placed on its surface C, it may accommodate a one-pint can. A single and simple can-closing apparatus is thus made effective for closing the usual standard sizes of paint cans.

In operation, a paint can having been placed upon the base 6 or upon the can rest 20 the friction lid of the can having been placed upon the can, the levers 11, 11 are swung downwardly, compressing the springs 18, 13 and bringing the head plate 9 down upon the can lid. The levers 11, 11 are operable independently, and due to the looseness with which the sleeves 8, 8 fit the posts 7, 7, either of the levers 11, 11, its associated sleeve 8, and the respective side of the head plate 9 may be brought down to bring that side of the head plate 9 to bear upon the can lid ahead of the opposite side of the head plate 9. If one side of a paint can has been buckled inward, the can rim will not be even and horizontal but will be a little lower on the buckled side of the can. But by placing the buckled side of the can adjacent to one of the posts 7 and by operating the lever 11 respective to that post a little ahead of the other lever, the pressure upon the can lid may also be applied in the tilted plane. Also if a can lid is bent, it may be started into the can at one side and the diametrically opposite side of the lid may be pressed in subsequently, the lid being flattened and straightened in the process. The ability to press in one edge of a can lid ahead of the diametrically opposite edge is of a greater advantage in sealing full cans, as the air in the small head space may be allowed to escape instead of being placed under pressure and resulting in a bulged or burst-open can.

It will be seen that the loose-fit between the posts 7, 7 and the encompassing sleeves 8, 8 permits the aforesaid selective lowering of one side or the other of the head plate 9, which will be returned to its initial position by the springs 18, 18. In Fig. 5 I have shown a modification of my invention, in which the head plate is loose upon the sleeves, instead of being secured rigidly thereto, and the sleeves may have a tight sliding fit upon the posts. A sleeve 21 (duplicated, of course on the other side of the can-closer) slidably encompasses a post 7 and is open at its upper end 22, the post 7 extending therethrough. A collar 23, through which the post 7 also extends, is threaded to the end 22. The sleeve 21 is contracted below the collar 23 to leave an external 3 shoulder 24, upon which a head plate 25 rests. The collar 23, being adjustable, may be adjusted to give more or less space for the head plate 25 above the shoulder 24, thus allowing limited tilting of the head plate which, when brought down upon a can lid, will bear upwardly against the collar 23.

Other modifications and changes in arrangement will occur to those skilled in the art, which are deemed to be included in this invention insofar as they come within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. Apparatus for pressing a friction closure upon a container comprising: a base; a pair of posts mounted on said base and rising therefrom and spaced to receive between them a container placed on said base; sleeves respective to said posts and reciprocable thereon; a plate spanning said sleeves so as to reciprocate therewith on said posts and having a loose connection to said posts through said sleeves so as to be capable of limited tilting relative to said posts; springs respective to said posts urging said sleeves and said plate upwardly; a pair of levers positioned adjacent opposite margins of said plate and pivotally connected to said sleeves for causing downward movement of said sleeves and said plate against the resistance of said springs; links pivotally secured to said base and pivotally secured to said levers to provide swinging fulcrums upon which said levers act to slide said sleeves upon said posts; said levers being operable in unison or, selectively, individually for causing one margin of said plate to approach said base ahead of the opposite margin of said plate.

2. Apparatus for pressing a friction closure upon a container as set forth in claim 1, in which said loose connection between said plate and said posts resides in a loose fit between said sleeves and said posts, whereby said sleeves and said plate spanning them may be tilted upon said posts.

3. Apparatus for pressing a friction closure upon a container as set forth in claim 1, in which said loose connection between said plate and said posts resides in a loose connection between said plate and said sleeves, said plate being tiltable with respect to said sleeves.

4. Apparatus for pressing a friction closure upon a container comprising: a base; a pair of horizontally spaced posts rising from said base; a head plate, and sleeves depending therefrom, reciprocable vertically upon said posts, said head plate spanning the space between said posts; lever means for causing reciprocation of said head plate; and a block having a plurality of pairs of opposed parallel sides, each pair of sides being spaced apart at a diameter of said block difiering in length from the diameter of said block spacing any other of said pairs of sides, said block being interposable between said base and said head plate with any of said pairs of sides in vertical relation to provide support for containers of various height.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 23,058 Chichester Feb. 22, 1859 1,480,369 Buresch Jan. 8, 1924 2,318,210 Fleisch May 4, 1943 

